


on with the show

by hurtroad



Category: ONEWE (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Angst, Eventual Fluff, Everyone Is Gay, Fluff and Angst, Internalized Homophobia, M/M, Minor Character Death, Minor Violence, Music Nerds, Musicians, Partying, Pining, Self-Discovery, Smut, gays with instruments, kbands galore, light fluff?, soft smut, this is just angst honestly
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-13
Updated: 2021-02-15
Packaged: 2021-03-18 18:15:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 5,867
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29247894
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hurtroad/pseuds/hurtroad
Summary: hyungu spends too much time chasing ghosts. until he meets yonghoon.after a family tragedy, hyungu is struggling. his parents can barely pay for his education which means so dearly to him. he’s at a loss for hope, until he meets the tall brunette in his composition class.yonghoon is also struggling. after a major turning point in his life, he drops seemingly everything of the past, including his girlfriend of four years. all he really wants is to find himself.
Relationships: Jin Yonghoon/Kang Hyungu | Kanghyun
Comments: 1
Kudos: 11





	1. chapter one

**Author's Note:**

> hope you enjoy the story! check tags for possible triggers — please stay safe!
> 
> feel free to follow me on social media !!  
> twitter ; mudklcker  
> instagram ; intoancther

Looking back, it could have gone either way. It may not have worked out exactly as he planned, which makes it look like fate, or a stupid decision, or both. But at the time, Hyungu  _ did _ have a few things in his favor. He had his insane guitar skills, which anyone who heard him shred wished they could have. He had his sister, who had known the dream living inside him deep down in his heart since the day he learned how to strum a chord. Everyone knew what Hyungu needed to be happy.

But things didn't come so easy.

The only thing that came easy was his music composition class. His first day at Berklee approached like a dreaded but also exciting storm. Hyungu didn't know whether to be terrified or relieved—he was finally going to do what made him happy.  _ Music _ . He'd be surrounded by people who understood his passion. It would be perfect. 

Music composition was the one hour of the day where he could relax, at least a little. Hyungu loved the professor—he was a quirky and enthusiastic guy who was probably louder than all the small chatter going on in the room combined. Hyungu had been sitting in the very last row, in the very end seat, and could still hear Professor Lee as if he was screaming in Hyungu's ear.

"Alright mini Motzarts, welcome to Music Comp," Lee said as he clasped his hands together. “You all call me Lee. None of that  _ doctor  _ nonsense. But please don’t call me Hongki, only my friends call me that. You’re not my friends.” 

The class erupted in a small echo of laughter.

Hyungu was just quietly giggling to himself, trying to stay low and quiet. He was actually rather relaxed, despite being terribly nervous the night before, unable to fall asleep peacefully. Lee went on to explain the basis of the class, how it would be run, then eventually passed out the syllabus. The paper went around and down every row and seat, and Hyungu watched and listened as the sound of rustling sheets filled the room. Of course, none of them got around to him, who had been sitting at the  _ way _ back. Not wanting to have to speak to the prof personally, Hyungu scurried ahead, crouching down (as if he had anyone’s view to  _ not _ block, hilariously), to grab one for himself. It only took five  _ excuse me _ ’s and a few taps on the shoulder of some person he’d never seen before to get the damn paper. 

“Thank you,” Hyungu muttered before sprinting back to his spot. He realized maybe he  _ shouldn’t  _ sit so far away from every other student. Maybe join the class, perhaps.

But Hyungu wasn’t alone, soon enough.

Another backpack was sitting in the row ahead, a few seats over, paired with a tall, somewhat lanky, but still handsome guy along with it. He had obviously been late, for he hurriedly pulled out a notebook and a pencil and threw his earbuds and phone into his bag. He had a slick, black leather jacket on and a silver earring hung from his earlobe.  _ Damn,  _ Hyungu thought, sitting in his grey hoodie and ripped jeans.  _ I really am a loser. _

Lee went on to go over the syllabus, which Hyungu noticed the leather-jacket-boy didn’t have.  _ You need friends, dude,  _ Hyungu thought to himself, again.  _ Offer him the syllabus. No, don’t. You already seem creepy sitting in the fucking back row. _ Conflict filled Hyungu’s head, not sure if he’d embarrass himself or if it was a sign—Hyungu didn’t know a single person on the entire campus. It was an excuse to speak to someone.  _ Fine. After class. _

When  _ after class  _ came, Hyungu nearly forgot—he was too immersed in writing little notes on the syllabus in the margins. The boy was quick to pack his things and make his way out, but Hyungu caught him just in time.

“Hey, I noticed you didn’t get the syllabus…you can take mine if you want.” Hyungu held out the piece of paper, the guy suddenly stopping at the door. A pleasant grin grew upon his lips, which completely made Hyungu lose his mind. 

“Oh, thank you. I appreciate it,” he chuckled before walking away. Hyungu stood there, frozen.

During his small break, Hyungu claimed a little spot underneath a flourishing maple tree outside to eat his lunch at. The tree covered enough sun to keep it from blinding him, but also exposed it so a comfortable warmth beamed down on the campus. Students walked from building to building and milled around in the courtyard area. Hyungu liked it, it brought him an odd sense of comfort.

As the park area became more crowded, Hyungu became more self-conscious—he had his songbook out, along with his acoustic guitar under his arms, trying to begin his first assignment for Lee’s class.  _ Compose a simple passage, in D, G, or C major, that is in between twenty-four and thirty-two measures long. By next Monday, for any instrument. _

Perhaps this would be easier if he were in a room by himself, where no one could possibly be watching, or more so judging. But he really didn’t want to be in his dorm, for he had yet to  _ truly  _ meet with his roommate—his old friend from middle school, whom he hadn’t spoken to  _ since  _ middle school. The two drifted after they went to different high schools. The boy hung out with a different type of crowd, one Hyungu just didn’t click with. The guy never tried to get back in touch, so Hyungu left it alone.

“Hey, Hyungu? It’s me.”

Speak of the devil.

The boy looked brand new. He had jet-black straight hair, sported a striped turtleneck and ripped jeans. Just as Hyungu pictured—scruffy, but honestly, cool-looking. He had an attractive lowness to his voice that made the guy’s rather-cutesy face more intimidating.

“Uh—y-yeah, I’m Hyungu. Hi Harin.”

He didn’t know if he should have gotten up and hugged him, or given him a high-five, or just walked away. The whole thing was so nerve-wracking.

“Nice to finally see you again. Sorry we couldn’t properly meet before,” the boy apologized before kneeling down and shaking Hyungu’s hand. He took a seat on the ground, looking at Hyungu’s notebook. Hyungu’s heart began to pound. “I’ve just been so preoccupied. But you’re a deep sleeper, so I guess—”

“Don’t worry about it.” Hyungu chuckled. “I haven’t even been in the dorm much anyway.”

Harin laughed. “Ah, damn. Well, who would have known we’d both end up here together again. It’s a small world.”

Hyungu half-smiled, half-winced. “Yeah. It’s cool here though, now that we’re  _ old.  _ Plus everyone’s nice. My profs are cool. But the showers are kind of grody,” Hyungu explained, trying to spark up some laughter. “You’d think a private school would have better amenities.”

“I’ll drink to that,” Harin laughed, raising his water bottle before taking a few gulps. Hyungu laughed too. He thought, maybe being around a familiar face again wouldn’t be  _ so  _ bad.

  
  


Hyungu had been searching through the refrigerator in their dorm building, obviously trying to find something to munch on. He scoured through every square inch of the damn thing. He was  _ hungry.  _ He assumed the people in the floor above and below him could hear his stomach growling. 

“Hey,” a voice came from behind. “You looking for something to eat?” 

Hyungu turned around, and his heart seemed to drop to his stomach—it was  _ that _ guy. From composition. In the most imperfect way—hair messy, oversized t-shirt, obviously contouring sweatpants—he felt his knees go weak, like he needed to just collapse into the ground. 

“Uh, yeah, kinda.” Hyungu scratched the back of his head before letting out a nervous chuckle. “Yeah. I am.”

“I can take you to get something, most fast food places should still be open. If you want,” he offered. 

“Are you sure?” Hyungu asked. He nervously shoved his hands into his pockets as he awaited a response. “You don’t have to. I didn’t bring any food, I just…I have none, I’m out of dining credit, I should be getting used to this,” he rambled before pausing. “And how do I know you’re not trying to kill me?” 

Tall boy let out a shaky chuckle and rolled his eyes. “It’s okay, just tell me what you’re craving, and we’ll get it,” he reassured. “And please, I don’t even know how to  _ buy  _ a gun. I’m going to kill you.”

Hyungu looked down at the ground and let out a chuckle. “Okay. But I owe you.”

So the two walked to the car, which was surprisingly tidy for a college student. Hyungu’s stomach continued to make all types of noises as he thought about shoving some french fries into his mouth.

“What’s your name?” the boy asked. Hyungu didn’t even realize that they both had no idea what each other's names were. 

“I’m Yonghoon,” he answered as he made a left turn. “Sorry for not introducing myself. That probably was selfish of me.”

_ Yonghoon.  _ The way the words sounded against his lips sent a shiver down Hyungu’s spine.  _ Yonghoon, Yonghoon, Yonghoon. _

“It’s no worry. I’m Hyungu, by the way.”

“Nice meeting you, Hyungu.”

There was a long period of pure silence, which Hyungu personally hated. He wanted to ask Yonghoon everything about him. But, by the time they had neared the McDonalds, the brunette was digging through his pockets to find his wallet.

As he stopped at the red light, he carefully glanced over at Hyungu. The two locked eyes for the smallest moment, to which Hyungu immediately looked away, feeling unreasonably embarrassed. He stared at his lap and let out a small chuckle. He could feel the judgement from Yonghoon penetrating his very soul.

Yonghoon pulled into the drive-thru and put in his and Hyungu’s orders. Some french fries and milkshakes. Yonghoon got chocolate, while Hyungu had vanilla. Hyungu then began to wonder—he wondered if Yonghoon also liked hot chocolate. If he liked dark chocolate over milk. If he even liked white chocolate. But not only trivialities of cocoa powder—he wondered what Yonghoon was doing at Berklee. He had seemed like a music history type-guy, or maybe theory. He didn’t seem like the type to play drums or piano. Hyungu lost himself in a small universe of questions he wanted to ask.

“What’s your major?” Yonghoon asked as he pulled into a parking spot. 

“Film scoring,” Hyungu answered. “How about you?”

“Performance.”

Hyungu nodded as he thought to himself,  _ makes sense _ . Hyungu felt like Yonghoon was going to say more, maybe ask Hyungu about what movies inspired him to write music.

“Why the shortage of food?” Yonghoon continued with a slightly audible chuckle. Hyungu didn’t know _ what  _ to say. The way Yonghoon spoke seemed so…judgy. Not necessarily in a mean way, but rather curious. Hyungu paused as he tried to think of how to word his response. His silence must have spoken volumes to Yonghoon. “I—I’m sorry, I don’t even know why I asked, it’s none of my business—“

“Money is just tight right now. That’s all,” Hyungu replied, tone making it seem like it was no big deal, but in reality, he was shrouded in defeat. He glared down at his milkshake cup, not taking any opportunity to sip from it, but just zoning out.

“Oh—I’m sorry,” Yonghoon commented after a long moment of quiet, probably feeling bad for even asking in the first place. “You’re welcome to eat any of my food whenever you want. I keep it in my room, though. Never know how the other residents are gonna act.” Yonghoon glanced over at Hyungu who had a small smile on his face. It lightened his mood more, and he started to feel more comfortable around this very handsome, very intimidating guy.

“Thank you,” Hyungu said. “I’ll hopefully be back on my feet pretty soon.”

“It’s no problem. If you need a friend too, I’ll be here.”

Hyungu couldn’t help but look up at Yonghoon. A smile grew upon his lips as his chest filled with butterflies. He wanted to stomp his feet with excitement and let out ridiculous noises. He knew he was blushing from the excessive warmth in his cheeks, but there in the dark, he didn’t seem to care.

Yonghoon smiled back.

There was a long pause, one Hyungu really  _ really  _ wanted to break, maybe to ask Yonghoon what his favorite foods and movies were, whether he really thought love was a good use of time, if he was more liberal or conservative—it didn’t matter. He wanted to hear him talk again. Ramble, even. But before either of them could speak up, Yonghoon reached for his phone, then scrolling through his music library. Hyungu wasn’t familiar with the song he started to play, but he liked it nonetheless. At least they didn’t have completely-opposite music styles.

“You know this song?” Yonghoon asked, pointing to the screen of his car, where the title read  _ Iris. Goo Goo Dolls. _

“I’ve heard of the band. But I don’t recognize this song, no.”

Yonghoon leaned his head back and closed his eyes. He mouthed along to the words, whispering the lyrics along with John Rzeznik, and it was the most beautiful duet Hyungu had ever heard in his life. He became enraptured in the sight of Yonghoon getting lost in the song. He fell in love with it.

After the first chorus was through, Yonghoon opened his eyes again. “I fucking love this song.”

Hyungu nodded. “It’s really good. That’s saying a lot, ‘cause I’m picky,” he replied.

Yonghoon laughed as he reached back over for his phone again and unlocked it. He handed it over to Hyungu. 

“Show me what  _ you’ve  _ got. Although I’m sure it’s good,” Yonghoon joked. Hyungu’s hands immediately began to shake. He felt like there were a million songs he should have played, but the words just fell off his fingertips as he typed them out on the keyboard. 

The guitar in the opening of the song began picking up speed, and along with it, Hyungu’s heartbeat.

_ Frankie died just the other night ; _

_ Some say it was suicide, but we know ; _

_ How the story goes _

Hyungu tried not to watch Yonghoon as the song played, fearing the brunette wouldn’t enjoy it, or would have some disgusted look on his face. Hyungu just stared at his lap, singing the lyrics in his head.

_ Frankie was fast, he was too fast to know ; _

_ He wouldn’t go slow until his lethal dose _

The chorus then finally began to make its way through the song. Hyungu started humming, as quiet as humanly possible. Before then, the song never felt so  _ long.  _ He felt like he was at a music conference, being judged on his performance, only the performance was coming from someone else’s cellular device in a fucking McDonald’s parking lot.

The song finally closed out as the guitar strummed its final D major chords. Yonghoon snapped his fingers and nodded.

“Not bad,” he commented. Hyungu let out a sigh of relief. 

“I’m glad you...didn’t hate it.”

Yonghoon laughed. “It’s good. You have good taste. Better than most.” He gently nudged Hyungu’s arm—the feeling electrifying. “Add it to my library.”

Hyungu obliged, clicking the heart icon next to the song. He smiled to himself.


	2. chapter two

Hyungu had always been used to waiting for minutes on end for Harin to finally show up at their little picnic table. They seemed to take territory of it—everyday, 11:30 sharp, they’d begin studying for their individual classes as they ate their lunches, and Harin would normally have to supply the food each time. The routine really only seemed to occur in Hyungu’s books though, for Harin normally didn’t show up until 11:50.

Today was different. His old friend didn’t show up at all. 

Hyungu figured it was no big deal—the boy probably just got caught up in more work than normal, or he was kissing up his girlfriend, Haejoo. Hyungu hadn’t met her very often, but Harin was  _ always  _ with her, so Hyungu figured their relationship wasn’t a complete waste of time.

Before Hyungu could pack his textbook and get back to the dorm, Yonghoon sat right across from him with two iced Americanos.

“Hey,” Yonghoon greeted gleefully, holding out one of the cups towards Hyungu. The sound of his voice made Hyungu’s heart skip a beat. Seeing Yonghoon’s bright and radiant smile in the light rather than the darkness of the car was a refreshing feeling to Hyungu. He had dark-brown hair the perfect length—wavy, but not too wavy, so it lightly hung over his forehead and jittered along with the wind that blew through it. His eyes were sharp and the perfect shade of cocoa. Hyungu hadn’t realized it until then, but Yonghoon was quite handsome. His structure along with the shades of his skin and hair and eyes seemed to create the perfect canvas of a human. 

“Not sure how you take your coffee, so I just got it black. Here’s some half ‘n half,” he added as he reached into his pocket, passing a few mini-cups in Hyungu’s direction. “I remember you having iced coffee in class, though.”

“You remembered,” Hyungu commented with a laugh as he took the cup from Yonghoon’s hands. He gratefully sipped from the cup, the bittersweet taste of the coffee exploding in his mouth giving him utter nostalgia from the night before. “Black is just fine. Thank you.”

Yonghoon waved a hand as he took a gulp from his drink. “It’s no problem, again. Figured you’d need lunch too.” Yonghoon chuckled, sliding over a 6-pack of double-stuf oreos. Hyungu’s eyes widened at the sight of the cookies. He didn’t hesitate to take them.

Hyungu quickly began to close up his books and threw them into his backpack. He couldn’t care for his French and music theory work right now, not when Yonghoon had been sitting right before him.

“So,” Yonghoon began before sipping from his coffee. “Have you started the comp assignment? I’ve been trying to start, but I’ve been so stuck.” It took a moment for Hyungu to remember that they had the same music composition class, which hadn’t even been enough for Hyungu to get writing again. He used to be able to stay up from dusk until dawn, writing and playing the night away. Guitar seemed to be his one and only true love—it was the only thing that could make him feel, make him _live._ But ever since the summer began, the fire and creativity inside him seemed to crumble. 

But...Yonghoon. 

He could inspire Hyungu.

“Not really. I’ve just...I’ve been in a writer’s block,” Hyungu explained. “I’ll probably just record some improv and call it a day.”

Yonghoon pursed his lips and shrugged his shoulders. “I’m not great with composing. I just write lyrics usually.”

“You sing then?” Hyungu asked. He didn’t have a clear idea as to who Yonghoon was as a musician. He wanted to know everything about the boy musically. Hyungu wondered if they had a music taste in even the same universe—while Hyungu loved older bands like Led Zeppelin and Kiss and Van Halen _,_ Yonghoon seemed too delicate to listen to any music of that sort. He was too _gentle_.

“Mainly singing, that’s what I want to do. But I know a few things on piano, and guitar, of course,” Yonghoon explained. Hyungu smiled small, mainly at the thought of Yonghoon singing. He could picture in his head the image of how Yonghoon would look as he belted out high notes and softly spoke the lower ones. It was beautiful—his eyes shut gently, lips pouting ever-so-slightly, just like the way they did whenever he spoke. The sight made Hyungu want to see it with his own eyes. 

“When will I hear you sing?” Hyungu asked jokingly, but not really.

Yonghoon looked down at his lap with a certain look—one Hyungu couldn’t really process. Part of it was genuinely nervous, the other completely baffled and annoyed by Hyungu’s question. “Eventually.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> have you noticed i have no clue how to finish off chapters


	3. chapter three

Outside, Hyungu could hear the trickling of the rain pattering against the small window to his dorm. Across from him lay Harin in his tiny bed. He had been reading a book, which didn’t seem too interesting, for his eyelids kept drooping and the book slowly fell from his grip. It wasn’t even very late, but Harin figured it best for him to cram in his classes over three or four days, that way, he’d have the rest of the week off. Hyungu had gotten used to the boy’s routine by now. As enthusiastic and flamboyant as he had been during the day, it all meant he would just crash to sleep that same night.

Hyungu had been doing homework in bed for his music history class, papers splayed out over the white comforter sheet. He really had zero motivation to finish any of it. He just wanted to sleep, for he could feel his body melting into the bed. Or better yet, talk to Yonghoon. Whether it be about his utter stress or the weight from not knowing when or even if he would be able to eat breakfast in a month. It was difficult to talk to Harin—he was more of a lecturer, not a listener, and when he would try and talk to him the guy would doze off. Hyungu learned the hard way.

Hyungu was studying the music of the Baroque era when there was a quiet, delicate knock on the door. It was so subtle, that it didn’t even snap Harin out of his daze. Hyungu moved his laptop and paper out of the way in order for him to actually get off the bed. He quietly shuffled across the room to the door, trying to keep Harin from awakening. Hyungu couldn’t help but smile when he saw Yonghoon standing with a small grin through the peephole.

Yonghoon smiled even bigger when Hyungu quietly opened the door. He had a big jacket on that had been wet from the rain outside, same with the tufts of hair atop his head. Hyungu didn’t invite Yonghoon into his room like he should have, but he couldn’t let Harin see Yonghoon—not yet. He knew all the questions Harin would be throwing at Hyungu at the sight of him speaking to another boy. Especially a handsome one.

“Hey,” Hyungu whispered, stepping out of the dorm, barely shutting the door behind him. “What’s up?”

“I just wanted to check in,” Yonghoon replied. He wiped the moisture from the rain off his forehead. For a fleeting moment, Hyungu wanted to help him dry off and tuck him into bed. Something about Yonghoon’s aura made Hyungu feel all warm and soft inside. That didn’t happen too often. “Are you doing okay? Have you eaten?”

“Yeah, I’m okay. And I’ve eaten,” Hyungu lied. He figured it was worth it when Yonghoon smiled again.

“Good. I guess I should get to sleep now. You should too,” Yonghoon looked down at the areas where he continued wiping off the rain. “Take care of yourself, Hyungu.”

The statement made Hyungu feel guilty for some reason. He knew he was practically killing himself with not eating, having no focus, running on only a few hours of sleep. It was only a matter of time before his hair would start falling out from sheer stress. 

Hyungu figured at first, Yonghoon was just another guy who would be nice for a day then leave, but something was bringing him back. Hyungu didn’t know what it was, but he wanted to. Instead of speculating, Hyungu figured Yonghoon was actually, genuinely, a nice person.

One Hyungu wanted to get to know more.

“Well, I’ll check in again soon. Have a good sleep,” Yonghoon finalized before beginning to walk back down the corridor. Hyungu waved with a subtle grin as Yonghoon looked back


	4. chapter four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi reader ~  
> i decided to change cha hun's character to harin, so i could fit harin in this story somehow. so that's why hun is no longer the roomie, but it's harin now. just wanted to make that clear :)  
> also, harin has a girlfriend who was originally seunghyub so yeah. sorry for the confusion

By _soon_ , Yonghoon meant the next night.

The boy had brought more than just himself this time—he had a bag of popcorn, his own laptop, and three DVDs. Hyungu couldn’t help but feel flustered.

“I don’t know if you like Marvel movies,” Yonghoon began. “But they always help to distract me. I thought you could give it a try.” 

Hyungu giggled, more than he probably should have. It probably gave away the fact that Hyungu _hated_ superhero movies, but he didn’t have the heart to tell Yonghoon. He was trying to do something nice—Hyungu didn’t want to crap all over that.

Hyungu opened the door and stepped aside as Yonghoon took his jacket off. Thankfully, Harin had been out with Haejoo, so there were no risks of Hyungu being caught with Yonghoon. Not that they’d be doing anything out of the ordinary—but Harin—you could breathe, and the boy would be suspicious.

Yonghoon awkwardly stood in the middle of the room, but managed to set down the goodies he brought with him down on the desk which neither Harin or Hyungu ever bothered to use. Hyungu smiled to himself as he examined the boxes to the DVDs, obviously trying to figure out which movie to watch.

“We don’t have to watch them. I just—”

“We’ll watch,” Hyungu asserted. He really didn’t feel like it, but he liked to see Yonghoon smile and be happy. So he obliged.

Yonghoon held up one of the movies, the cover consisting of quite unfamiliar faces, along with some patches of clouds and a superhero weapon here and there. 

Hyungu walked towards Yonghoon and joined him in looking at the DVDs. Hyungu pointed out one, and the only person he recognized was Iron Man. “Let’s watch this one.”

Yonghoon nodded with a grin. “Sure,” he obliged. 

Hyungu allowed Yonghoon to get comfortable first, for he was the guest. And the bed was tiny, along with Yonghoon.

They lied down together, close. They had no choice, for the bed was exactly as tall as Hyungu had been, and was barely wide enough for the both of them. Hyungu’s thigh just barely pressed against Yonghoon’s, but truthfully, he didn’t mind it, besides the way it made his hands shake and his heart race.

Yonghoon managed to get the movie up and running within a matter of seconds. Before Hyungu could blink twice, Robert Downy Jr. was riding in a war-tank. Hyungu didn’t catch onto what was going on at first, but he _was_ able to catch the fact that the movie had already begun boring him to death.

The movie finally started picking up speed. This was one he didn’t watch before, for he didn’t recognize the plot’s path. Tony Stark found himself at gunpoint within five minutes of the movie. Hyungu, feeling suddenly immersed, grabbed the throw blanket sitting at the foot of the bed. He was about to ask Yonghoon if he wanted to be under the covers as well, but figured it best that he stay quiet—Yonghoon was already so invested in the movie. So, Hyungu rolled out the blanket over his short and meaty legs, along with Yonghoon’s more slender ones. The action caused Yonghoon to look over at the boy. They both met eyes. They smiled.

“Popcorn?” Yonghoon gestured towards the bag he had brought with him. Hyungu knew he was trying to get their moment of flying sparks to end, which for a moment, upset Hyungu. He really wanted to look into Yonghoon’s eyes a bit longer. They were so…comforting. Yonghoon didn’t need to speak. Just by his gaze, it seemed as if he were saying _everything will be okay._

Hyungu reached his hand into the bag and grabbed a handful of popcorn. Yonghoon looked up at Hyungu, smiled, and popped a morsel of popcorn into his mouth.

They grew about an hour into the movie, and Hyungu could slowly feel himself growing more and more tired. Not much had happened, but besides, Hyungu was confused as hell, and tired as hell. But it was worth it—because Yonghoon was worth it.

Up until Yonghoon fell asleep. _On_ Hyungu’s shoulder.

It was right when Iron Man went on one of his first flights in-suit when Yonghoon let out a quiet snore. Hyungu looked down, and the boy was crashed out. Fast asleep. The sight made Hyungu feel vulnerable for a moment—it felt like if he even breathed, Yonghoon would awaken—and he really didn’t want that to happen.

So, instead, Hyungu closed the laptop and slowly stood up from the bed. He managed to reposition Yonghoon more comfortably. His eyes were still shut tightly, lips peacefully in a straight line, hair effortlessly wavy about his head. Hyungu wanted to brush the strands out of his forehead. Just to feel. 

Ever so lightly, Hyungu’s fingers brushed along the older’s forehead as the brown locks moved along with them. Now, the strands were collected with a larger tuft of hair. 

Hyungu couldn’t help but think to himself, _he’s really good looking._

He stared. He stared for what was probably much too long for it to be normal. But, he couldn’t help it. Not only was Yonghoon so effortlessly beautiful, but something about the way his face fell as he sunk into slumber was so fascinating to Hyungu. He seemed fragile and delicate with his eyes closed and face relaxed, unlike the way he presented himself when he was awake.

Hyungu snapped out of his daze when his phone began blaring in his pocket. He panicked to silence it, not wanting Yonghoon to wake up. He quickly moved into the tiny bathroom as he checked the caller ID.

Harin.

“What is it?” Hyungu asked with a whisper as he answered the call. Harin answered with a drawn-out laugh.

“Hyuuuuunguuuuu!”

He was drunk.

Hyungu sighed. “God, Harin. You need to chill out.” 

He could hear even more laughter coming from the other line. On top of that, he heard the sound of a loud television, along with the small chatter of what sounded like only a few other people. There was fussing going on with Harin, which was further explained when he began to speak.

“Sorry, Hyungu. He’ll stay with me tonight,” Haejoo said with an annoyed tone. Hyungu rolled his eyes.

“Thanks,” Hyungu said. “Thanks _again._ ”

Haejoo hung up.

Hyungu walked back out of the bathroom, and Yonghoon was still fast asleep. He couldn’t help but smile as he crawled beneath the covers of Harin’s bed. Normally, Hyungu would sleep on his left side. But he found himself ever-so-subtly peeking over at Yonghoon as he slept soundly. The sight was calming for Hyungu, knowing that the older boy was comfortable. He found it hard to fall asleep, as he wanted to keep looking at the guy.

He didn’t mind. 

As usual, Yonghoon was worth it.


	5. chapter five

Hyungu woke up in a daze, eyes fluttering open as he tried to get a grasp on where he was and what time it had been. His head immediately went to Yonghoon, not only thanks to the night beforehand full of popcorn and awkward looks and Tony Stark, but because Yonghoon stood in the middle of the room, right in front of where Hyungu lied down.

Once Hyungu had his eyes fully open, Yonghoon stepped away from the bed, only to find himself awkwardly standing in the middle of the dorm room.

“Good morning,” Yonghoon said. His voice was gruff and quiet, and Hyungu couldn’t help but find it extremely sexy. Yonghoon sat himself back down on the foot of the bed. 

“You were so sleepy last night,” Hyungu chuckled. “You crashed out.”

Yonghoon shook his head. “I guess. I always get pretty tired all in one moment. And I’m sorry, I really should have left before I—”

“It’s okay, Yonghoon.” Hyungu sat himself up and looked into Yonghoon’s direction. “Seriously. You just fell asleep, it’s no big deal. Don’t worry about it, okay?”

Yonghoon nodded. “Okay.”

Hyungu smiled reassuringly. He could tell Yonghoon was pretty humiliated by what happened the night before. 

Instead of telling the boy just how cute the whole ordeal had been, Hyungu suggested they go to the coffee shop again and get themselves an iced Americano and a hot chocolate.

“Come on,” Hyungu exclaimed as he quickly threw on a gray sweatshirt and slipped into his shoes. “Let’s get out of here.”

The two quickly made their way outside, where the sidewalks were still pretty damp from the rain the night before. The temperature was mildly cold. Yonghoon was in nothing but a loose hoodie, and Hyungu could tell he was cold by the way his nose seemed to immediately grow to a pink color. Hyungu almost wanted to offer him his own sweatshirt, but he figured that was a bad idea. Hyungu still didn’t know if Yonghoon’s affection towards himself was out of simply caring for a friend or if it was out of love. Hyungu knew it was too early in their relationship to find out.

They started their trek towards the cafe in complete silence. Hyungu couldn’t think of a good conversation starter, for he felt Yonghoon would just laugh at all the questions Hyungu  _ really  _ wanted to ask him. The trivial things, like his favorite color and his thoughts on global warming. Instead, he stayed quiet, and hoped for Yonghoon to think of something to say.

“How was the movie?” Yonghoon finally asked as they made a turn on the sidewalk. 

“Interesting,” Hyungu lied.

“That wasn’t the best one.” Yonghoon let out a small sigh. “It’s probably one of my least favorites, actually. We need to watch  _ Black Panther  _ next time, or  _ Winter Soldier _ .”

There was even more silence once they started towards the building. As they reached the entrance, Yonghoon excitedly jumped through some puddles, a small giggle escaping him. The action made Hyungu’s heart jump a little.

They walked together into the building, and it was just like every other morning—the only people there were the students who were getting out of their early classes, and they were all on their laptops, studying over the lecture notes taken the day before.

After Hyungu gets his vanilla latte and Yonghoon gets his iced Americano, the two sit down at a table near the window. Hyungu sat back, watching some ducks waddle down to the pond outside as he sipped his drink. Yonghoon went on his phone for a moment, so when he started talking to Hyungu, the blonde was caught by surprise.

“So you’re in film scoring, huh?” Yonghoon asked as he made himself more comfortable in the chair. “When will I hear you play guitar?” Yonghoon chuckled, and Hyungu raised his eyebrows.

“Yeah. Well…maybe when I hear you sing.” Hyungu spoke timidly while giving Yonghoon a convincing look.

Yonghoon rolled his eyes before bringing his arm up on the table. He reached out his hand, sticking his pinky out. “Deal. Promise?” he asked as a sinister grin grew upon Hyungu’s face. The blonde wrapped pinkies with Yonghoon, the feeling electrifying to him. 

“Deal.”


End file.
